Arkansas Blog

Greenbrier teen says he was turned away from enlisting in Marines because of Confederate flag tattoo

TATTOO TROUBLE: United States Marine Corps allegedly passes on recruit with tattoo depicting treason against the United States of America.

KARK reported last week on 18-year-old Anthony Bauswell, who said that he tried to join the U.S. Marines at a recruiting center in Conway, only to be told that a Confederate flag tattoo on his ribs "automatically DQs" Bauswell from enlisting.

Marine Corps policy bans tattoos that are "sexist...racist, eccentric or offensive in nature." Bauswell said that his tattoo was not racist. "It clearly states 'Southern Pride,'" Bauswell told KARK. "I definitely don't want it to be seen as racism, which is 99% of the reason I got southern pride on it."